A Taxi driver who started abusing cocaine when his marriage broke down has been jailed for eight years after he was caught holding €213,000 worth of the drug at his sister's home.

Francis Daly, (38) of Abbeyside, Broombridge Road, Cabra, hid the drugs in his sister's garden shed while she was away on holiday.  He agreed to collect the haul for payment because he had run up debts of over €57,000 from credit card bills and helping to fund his partner's heroin addiction.

Daly pleaded guilty to possession of three kilos worth of cocaine at Parlickstown Court, Mulhuddart, on June 26, 2005.

Judge Katherine Delahunt said the fact that Daly accepted responsibility for the drugs was of significant assistance to his sister who might have found herself in trouble with gardai.

MONEY

She accepted that he was not actively involved in the drug trade and not a "major player" but said he was a person who was transporting drugs for easy money as a way to get out of debt.

Judge Delahunt said Daly had co-operated with gardai by his admission and was in genuine fear of those he was holding the drugs for but said his motive to get involved was purely for commercial gain.

She was satisfied there were circumstances to allow the court to deviate from the mandatory minimum 10 year sentence in that he co-operated with the Garda investigation and pleaded guilty, but she added that he had been caught red-handed and that warranted a significant custodial sentence.

Daly admitted he had collected the drugs from a pub earlier that day and was due to receive "further instructions".

Evening Herald 14/03/2007
Sonya McLean